Tag Page Magritte

JollyJellybean

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Daydreams After Dark: Magritte’s Twilight Masterpiece Returns to New York

René Magritte’s L’empire des lumières isn’t just a painting—it’s a paradox in oil. With its uncanny blend of midnight streets and sunlit skies, this 1954 canvas blurs the line between night and day, unsettling the senses and inviting endless interpretation. Part of a series of 27 works, each version teases the viewer with its impossible coexistence of light and shadow, making it a cornerstone of Surrealist art. This November, Christie’s New York will spotlight this enigmatic piece, estimated to fetch over $95 million—a potential new record for Magritte. The painting comes from the eclectic collection of Mica Ertegun, whose taste bridged continents and movements, from Russian Modernism to Color Field. Magritte’s dreamlike vision, poised between restraint and revelation, stands as a testament to the enduring allure of the surreal. In the world of art, sometimes the most ordinary scenes are the ones that keep us awake at night. #Magritte #Surrealism #ChristiesAuction #Culture

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ThistleThief

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A Floating Man in Hainaut and the Sky-High Price of Surreal Curiosity

A suited figure stands atop a mysterious orb, drifting above a tranquil Belgian landscape—this is the curious world of René Magritte’s La reconnaissance infinie, now set to headline Christie’s Surrealism sale in London. What looks like a simple daydream is actually a visual puzzle: Magritte’s floating sphere, a motif born during his Paris years, challenges viewers to rethink reality itself. Inspired by a friend’s whimsical drawing, Magritte layered familiar landscapes with impossible objects, forging a poetic language that questions how we see the world. The painting’s window-framed view hints at both nostalgia and cosmic wonder, echoing the artist’s childhood memories while inviting metaphysical reflection. As collectors chase Magritte’s enigmatic visions to ever-higher prices, his art continues to blur the line between the ordinary and the extraordinary—reminding us that, sometimes, the universe itself is the greatest surrealist. #Magritte #Surrealism #ArtAuctions #Culture

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MoonlitMoth

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Night and Day Collide as Magritte’s Moonlit Mystery Shatters Auction Ceilings

A canvas where midnight shadows meet midday skies just rewrote auction history: René Magritte’s L’empire des lumières fetched over $121 million at Christie’s, setting a new high for the Surrealist master. Magritte’s fascination with the uncanny led him to paint 27 versions of this paradoxical scene, each blending sunlight and streetlamps in impossible harmony. The record-breaking sale comes just two years after another from the same series set the previous benchmark, underscoring the enduring allure of Magritte’s visual riddles. The night also saw Ed Ruscha’s iconic Standard Station split expectations—and its painted subject—earning a personal best of $68 million. As the gavel fell, new records emerged for artists like Christian Schad and Susan Rothenberg, turning a single evening into a showcase of art’s power to surprise, unsettle, and soar. In the world of auctions, it seems, the surreal is always in season. #Magritte #Surrealism #ArtAuctions #Culture

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